An Indulgent Christmas by Sarah Brook

So here we are yet again and it's indulgent Christmas time. For those of you who have prepped your body for all the extra, rich food that we usually eat at this time of year with a little running; yoga or behaving on the food front, are you now thinking that the new outfit you bought is going to gradually get smaller as the holiday season progresses? For the rest of us the reality is far worse, it's that by the end of the season, we'll all be moving into our fat wardrobe that we tucked away sometime in March.
 

Every year I like to set a few guidelines so that my fat pants don't get upgraded to a new slightly bigger pair. In fact this year I intend to stay the same size and still indulge.

So here go a few quick tips from my own holiday guidelines

1. Savour the moment and the morsel - Whilst I am not a particularly religious I do believe in savouring my life and the food in it, perhaps remembering that this time of year is more about celebration than gluttony is not a bad thing to keep in mind. It's also good to have a little reverence for the food. Savour your food by enjoying the flavour and chewing before swallowing! It actually helps the digestion process and aids in the brains measurement of how much you actually should be eating before you are full.

It takes about 20 minutes for food high in fibre or protein to pass through your stomach and into your lower intestines, where the hormone is released to your brain informing you when you are satisfied. You should therefore spread an average meal over 30 minutes to ensure you don't over-eat. If you are faced with a very large plate of food definitely divide that plate in to 10 minute quarters. Dr Shyam Singha, an old Ayurvedic specialist in London used to say, "Chew your juice and drink your food!"

2. You don't have to eat EVERYTHING! - This goes for what's on your plate as much as what you can put on it. I am a fan of a little bit of everything and as a result I favour a large plate with a mouthful of everything. However most people don't have the restraint to just take a mouthful and certainly when confronted with my favourite things I prefer large portions. If however I chew all my food properly there is no way I can manage everything that goes on my plate. Especially if I let my mother serve me in the first place. The holiday period is not meant to be a suffrage period

3. Pick your favourites - For me, any occasion will usually include my favourite foods and my not so favourites. Being a lover of all foods sweet and savoury but also being quite particular about quality I always choose the finest of chocolate, the finest of bread (something I can't and don't usually eat), my favourite dessert and a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream - which I prefer to it's sweet cousin. You don't have to eat everything and you don't have to go back for seconds. You are not suffering a famine in the other weeks of your life and you might find that you are probably going to be having leftovers for at least two days after any event you hold or go to.

4. Going back for seconds - we all do it and we all wish later we didn't, if you are satisfied great don't go back but if you must, do it conservatively. There is no need to overload that plate as soon as you have finished your first round. Take a ten minute pause and then take a little taste of your favourites. You will often find this is more than enough on what is probably an already full stomach.

5. Watch the pick! - I am a picker and I love to pick at food with a glass of my preferred tipple. Picking is fine if you're not a big eater and in fact it's a good alternative to the second plate. Here however is where you should make smart choices. Meats and cold cuts provide high protein, are very satisfying and filling. Grapes and fruits are a high fibre low calorie sweet that also provide good digestive enzymes and are best eaten before a meal or an hour after. Watch out for the cream cakes and the mini pies. If these are your favourites try to restrict yourself to one or two. A third one is going to be no more satisfying than the first two. Also you don't need to eat them every day over the holiday period.

6. Watch the Sauce! - That is the gravy and the alcohol. The best way to pile the calories and the fat on to your meal is to go nuts with the gravy and dressing boats. Take it easy! There is plenty of fat in that meal as it is.

Alcohol can also be a killer. Watch out for all that beer. Instead of drinking a dozen sugar and yeast loaded beverages go for less of the finer stuff; a good vodka, liquor with a low calorie mixer or a fine wine. Less is more, don't be the crazy drunk at your family gathering unless you're in good company!

7. Play with the Kids! - It is not just the children that love to play. Spending time as a family and being light-hearted over Christmas is what it's all about. Even playing a few board games can burn more calories than passing out on the sofa overfed, drunk and overly lazy. Great NZ favourite games for this time of year include Frisbee, backyard cricket or rugby.

So good luck and best wishes for your holiday season. Enjoy yourself more by not punishing yourself with too much indulgence. See you in the next fabulous year.

Sarah Brook

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Natural Solutions to Oral Hygiene by Sarah Brook

Last time we discussed my failing gums and how to keep your teeth in your mouth. Throughout the last three years I have gone through various different products to assist in the cleaning of my mouth, always searching for something that will do at least what the top of the range dentist recommended products will provide. Some off the shelf products have very bad side effects, so if the preservation of your teeth at the cost of your health doesn’t seem like a good trade you may find the following natural options handy.

Salt Water
Over the years I discovered several things about cleaning your teeth. The main one is that a good toothbrush makes all the difference. In fact my hygienist tells me that a good toothbrush like the Oral B 5000 and water is a fine way to clean your teeth. She actually suggested that salt water is perhaps one of the best things you can clean your teeth with as it helps alkalise everything. I would recommend making your own salt water with pink Himalayan rock salt.

Baking Soda
Despite claims that baking soda can damage your enamel, I would question the potential harm that this causes, as it seems to me that it would require excessive and extensive use of baking soda being directly applied over several years. This would in my opinion make it just as harmful as toothpaste as most toothpaste has abrasives added in order to remove stains and whiten teeth. Baking soda helps balance the ph level in your mouth and kills nasty bacteria and of course also has the added bonus of whitening your teeth.

Coconut oil
In ayurvedic medicine there is such a thing as an oil detox, sometimes referred to as oil pulling. Morning and night it is recommended that you rinse the mouth with oil in order to ‘pull’ toxins from the body via the mouth. Take a tablespoon of coconut oil and swish it between your teeth and around your mouth for 15-20 minutes. When using this method my dentist always complained less about the state of my gums. The high levels of potassium found in coconut also help to whiten your teeth.

Tea Tree Oil
In a highly diluted form this will kill bacteria and stimulate the circulation in the gums. Also I find that many of the other ingredients I have listed in this article don’t give you that powerful clean fresh taste on your breath. Tea tree will definitely give you this.

Turmeric
A spice I could write a book on! Often used in ayurvedic medicine for its anti-inflammatory properties, turmeric is a spice I would recommend consuming every day. I used to drink it with vegetable broth and cayenne pepper and found my body was never healthier and my skin was vibrant. A yogi once told me it also strengthens the bones and prevents osteoporosis. So it stands to reason that this yellow ingredient will help fight inflamed and infected gums.

CoEnzyme Q10
Taken on a daily basis will help keep you young, improve skin elasticity and will also help stabilise the gum tissue!

Combinations
Finally you can use one or all of the above ingredients if you wish to clean your teeth. But before I go I would like to leave you with a two of my favourite combinations.

Rinse/Mouthwash
One tablespoon of extra virgin coconut oil mixed with one quarter of a teaspoon of Himalayan rock salt, two drops of tea tree oil and a pinch of turmeric.

Paste
Five grams of baking soda mixed with quarter of a teaspoon of salt and blended with a teaspoon of virgin coconut oil.


This is not a complete list of natural remedies. There are in fact many things that can be used in oral care including cloves, eucalyptus and many more. In giving you the above list I decided to give you a list of things you are more likely to come across and therefore may use and that you can combine to your discretion to make your own paste or rinses. Also I wanted to plug the Oral B 5000 again, and not because I was paid to, cause I wasn’t, but because it really is going to save your teeth.

Wishing you a healthy mouth and better gums than mine,

Sarah Brook

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TEETH – Do we even know how to clean them?

I have spent the last three years in the fight against severe gum disease. So far I am winning the battle to keep my teeth in my mouth. Three years ago two of them were given only six months and they are still there! I suffer from shocking gums and apparently one in every ten people suffers from a faster than average build up of plaque. For those of you who want to keep your teeth in your mouth and your children’s teeth in your mouth please keep reading!

What are you going to do in a day if you don’t have ten minutes to clean your teeth a day? As parents this is one of the finer points easily and often overlooked. After all who has time in the morning to monitor children cleaning their teeth and by the time it’s bed time, you barely have the energy to get up off the couch to brush your own teeth let alone monitor and help your children brush theirs. Also in most cases most of us have little idea anyway. Many myths exist such as you shouldn’t brush into your gums too much or you will push them down; over brushing will cause a loss of enamel. I was once told that I should brush my gums upwards, I’m assuming that this was to stop them from receding, but I only ever remember it being mentioned that I was getting ‘long in the tooth’ – whatever that was supposed to mean. I also remember the dentist yelling at me about it. After that I didn’t see the dentist for ten years. I was 18 and I didn’t have to be spoken to like a naughty child so I avoided it and I have strong teeth so I was lucky. Ten years later I decided it was time to have a few things checked and the verdict was given to me: Bad Gums! So bad in fact that they suspected rare hereditary disorder; I suspected poor education and poor discipline that had led them to get so bad.
My experience taught me that as an unsupervised child I didn’t develop good habits or techniques for brushing teeth and nor did I understand the full ramifications. As I travelled back to the southern hemisphere I realised that many of my peers were suffering similar or worse problems.

It’s time to stop the decay!

The Hygienist – a better friend to your mouth than you are!

The concept of a hygienist is a relatively new to most Kiwis’ but as an adult if you have never been to see one then you should go. A complete natural junkie like me cringes at some of the stuff that the dentist uses but with gums like mine going every three months is a necessity. For those who have a reasonably healthy mouth once every six months is probably more than adequate and if you’re lucky your hygienist will be as kooky and as entertaining as mine. You can also ask your hygienist to use alternative options and usually they will hunt them down for you. I feel sorry for my hygienist having to deal with the years of neglect that I have subjected my mouth to which now makes its maintenance a permanently laborious affair. Often the process is accompanied with my own tears as still my gums bleed even after all my efforts. Efforts and cleaning equipment some of you will never need.

Flossing

Now some of you more diligent teeth cleaners will be wondering why I didn’t floss and most of you will now expect that I will profess that I did – well I didn’t! Floss was too difficult to get in between my teeth, if I managed to get it in I couldn’t get it out and often it hurt my gums. Flossing is something I feel requires individual tutoring and trust me when I say there is only one potential replacement and you will still need to be tutored in its use. Flossing, I was recently told requires a sawing action to get it both in and out of your teeth. Once in between the teeth it needs to be slid back on fourth along the side of the tooth and under the gum line. This sounds easy enough but you would be surprised what someone else actually observes when they watch you attempt this. The whole process takes me about two minutes to do each tooth including behind the very back tooth! To teach your kids may take a little longer and when they are very young you may want to get them a floss pick, which is much easier to use, though my hygienist refers to it as entry level flossing. At some stage you are going to have to progress.
Flossing is not just for cleaning your gum line of build up that your brush can’t get at but also for stimulating the gum and encouraging it’s attachment or reattachment to the tooth. Even at my late stage of gum disease flossing is still my main saviour.

Brushing & get the kids brushing to music

Now I can only recommend the Professional Care Smart Series 5000 By Oral B. Because other than a normal tooth brush, this is all I have ever used. It is about $150.00 worth of tooth brush and worth every penny. Whilst still fighting a battle with my gums my teeth are apparently spotless and this lovely brush is definitely to thank. Rated as one of the top tooth brushes by most hygienists this little baby has the most oscillations per minute when compared to other electric tooth brushes, it has a gum massaging function which I was only recently introduced to and it has a timer. If you are not going to brush your teeth for at least two minutes then you just won’t get the results. This little timer breaks your mouth down into sections and the toothbrush itself also responds by vibrating when it’s time to change sections.
Irrespective of whether you use this brush or a normal tooth brush, brushing into the gum is a necessity. On the Oral B if you press to hard it gives you a warning light. With a normal brush you are going to have to guess, for me the amount of pressure I can apply is much greater than I expected. When teaching your kids you may decide to get a music player in the bathroom with a tooth brushing song that keeps your kids brushing for at least two minutes. Your motions should be little circular ones and not harshly back and forward as this can also damage the teeth and gums. It also often skims the crevices between the teeth that a brush can easily get at. You need to angle your brush into the dips and curves of the teeth and gums.

Mouth Wash

I consider this to be my best friend, once my gums got bad I sought out the best natural stuff I could find and to this day it is key to my routine. The great thing about mouthwash is you can carry it in your bag for a bit of after dinner maintenance when you are out. It also gets into everything like nothing else. I love it so much that I use it both pre and post brush. They sell different products for the two occasions but I just buy one and use it at either end. As a pre brush it helps the whole process by loosening and softening the matter in your mouth and also rinsing anything that would potentially get pushed further into the gum line. Then after brushing I both rinse and brush once more with it. I figure there is no harm in massaging all that antibacterial stuff into my infested gums and now that all the pockets are open from the flossing the rinse is more likely to get in there. When I run out of toothpaste I am happy to do my routine with just this and my hygienist says you can brush your teeth with anything – as long as you use a toothbrush of course.

Scraping/Brushing the tongue

My kooky dentist has a brush dedicated to this and it has a scraper on the back. She uses the Oral B for the actual teeth and gums and then a manual toothbrush for the tongue. In this regard I think some attention should be paid. The tongue can harbour a lot of bacteria and the rest of the flesh inside the mouth. Giving it a good once over is always worthwhile. But on the scale of importance I feel this comes last. After all decent mouthwash is going to get some of it. Whether you use a scraper or a brush, I don’t think it matters too much just give it a good attack before you rinse with mouthwash so that the mouthwash can really get in there and collect the rest of the nasties.

Overall I feel the teeth brushing session with your kids should be everyday. Help them develop good habits before they develop bad ones and if you brush your teeth at the same time it feels less like a punishment doled out by adults. As a school you could send home newsletters dedicated to encouraging good habits. Include encouraging parents to brush their teeth with their kids to ensure good habits for both parties. It will also deter snacking habits in the evening after the kids have gone to bed – an extra bonus for the adults!

When you are teaching your kids how to clean their mouths you need to educate them on all the minor problems that can occur and the ongoing expense of this. Get a few graphic aids and talk about your own problems that have occurred – Make it real! Finally send them to a hygienist and let the hygienist do their job. When people use to tell me my teeth would fall out of my head as a child if I didn’t brush and floss, I only half listened. When they told me that eating candy would rot my teeth I knew I wasn’t going to be giving up candy in a hurry, so I all but wrote off my teeth. Why even bother brushing if I am fighting a losing battle? After all can’t I suck on a sweetie without teeth? No one really made the ramifications of poor hygiene real to me – in fact no one really taught me that just showing my mouth the toothbrush was not enough!
Let children have their candy BUT let’s take the time to teach them the importance and discipline of good oral hygiene making it as important as washing and drying your hands properly!

Happy Brushing, flossing and scraping!

Sarah Brook

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If you tuned in last issue you will have found a list of fabulous foods that can help restore your sickly immune deficient body back to health or help your robust unit stay that way.

In last month’s articles there were the basics followed by an amazing recipe for onion soup that burns everything out and usually improves most yoga postures. This month I have decided to add a few of my old favourites to that list that you may also find helpful and dispel a popular myth.

Let us start with the myth: “Starve a fever and feed a cold” – a popular statement heard throughout time in the treatment of cold and flu. The phrase is from Chaucer in "The Canterbury Tales." In Middle English, the phrase was "Fede a cold and starb ob feber" translated as "feed a cold and DIE of fever." It wasn't medical advice, it was a cautionary statement: If you eat when you're sick, you'll die of fever.

As a result of many people starving to death when they were sick, "starb" became "starve" and the definition was changed from just "die" to "die from lack of food." Thus creating the statement “starve a cold and die from lack of food” slowly over time this has of course changed to become the wives tale that we all know and love. In a time when people also believed bathing caused illness and that Jews were the cause of the Black Plague, I'm thinking it's probably not something we should take too seriously.

In actual fact I think the best thing to do is follow your instinct. Cut out those things which encourage the production of mucus, such as bread, wheat, gluten, sugar and all forms of dairy. Many naturopaths would also suggest avoiding red meat will help with this and then support the spleen – the centre of your universe! Drink plenty of fluids and eat when you are hungry. I quite often find that when I have a cold my tendency is to drink a lot of fluid, avoid anything to heavy and I usually get obsessed with a particular fruit. Last time it was Clementine’s, bags and bags and bags of them. When I have a fever usually the last thing I want to do is eat, but I drink like it’s going out of fashion. Even the late Dr Shyam Singha suggested that in fact the opposite is the case: Starve the cold and feed the fever. When you have a fever the body needs energy to fight it. It should be fed slowly, so as not to inhibit the organs – especially the spleen.

Oranges – Grilled?

When it comes to the mighty orange, I am sure we have all had it drummed into us how they are packed with vitamin C and were as children fed copious amounts of orange juice both when sick and not so sick. The healing properties of oranges have also been associated with a wide variety of phytonutrient compounds. When these phytonutrients are studied in combination with the oranges vast amounts of naturally occurring vitamin C, the significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of this fruit become clear.

But it is a particular flavanone in oranges, the herperidin molecule, which has been singled out in phytonutrient research on oranges. Currently considered the most important flavanone in oranges, herperidin has been shown to lower high blood pressure as well as cholesterol in animal studies, and to have strong anti-inflammatory properties. Importantly, most of this phytonutrient is found in the peel and inner white pulp of the orange, rather than in its liquid orange center, so this beneficial compound is too often removed by the processing of oranges into juice – an issue we shall address by grilling them.

You may already know that oranges are an excellent source of vitamin C; Just one orange supplies 116.2% of the daily value for vitamin C but vitamin C and oranges go a great step further in good health? Vitamin C is the primary water-soluble antioxidant in the body, disarming free radicals and preventing damage in the aqueous environment both inside and outside cells. Inside cells, a potential result of free radical damage to DNA is cancer. Especially in areas of the body where cellular turnover is especially rapid, such as the digestive system, preventing DNA mutations translates into preventing cancer. This is why a good intake of vitamin C is associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer. Further to this anything that promotes good functioning of the colon will also support the spleen. The spleen is your whole system’s powerhouse.

GRILLED ORANGES – How to get the goodness of the pith out of your orange – or do I mean in it?

In order to get the pith in your orange you can either peel the orange with a knife and leave as much of the white on the orange and eat or juice through a juicer or a much tastier and very winter friendly option is to grill them for breakfast (if you do this peeling is not necessary). Any time of day will have some effect but breakfast is best.

To ensure your oranges are grilled to their greatest benefit, cut in half (I like to cut them so that the inside show’s its sun like shape and it makes them easier to eat) then grill until the tops become a golden syrupy colour and the smell of Christmas is filling your house. I like to sprinkle mine with cinnamon before grilling and this gives more fragrance and taste to the whole process. Eat at least four oranges per sitting and drink with plenty of warm water. If you are the first to get sick in your household and others wish to avoid getting sick then I would advise everyone adjusts their breakfast habits for a few days.

The Spleen and Spleen Food

The Spleen is responsible for providing the nourishment which supports all aspects of healthy functioning. In the history of Chinese medicine whole schools have grown up around the idea that in the treatment of all illness we must first address the Spleen and its paired Organ, the Stomach. Without this central ability to morph food into nourishment, life lacks its central support and you are more open to any disease or cold.

The spleen is intricate in the whole digestive process including the pancreas and is responsible for the production of mucus that is fed into the stomach and utilised in the digestion process. During a cold this process becomes unbalanced and the excess mucus starts coming out of the nose mouth and ears. The pancreas itself releases enzymes into the small intestine to assist in the assimilation of nutrients. In fact a measure of the spleens strength is the effectiveness of the digestive system. The spleen is essential for initiating many processes in forming blood and energy for the body. Therefore the strength of blood and energy produced are significantly dependent on the Spleen. The nourishment generated by the spleen is transported along the various channels of the body, through the soft tissues of the body giving the soft tissues tone.

So what should we feed this vital organ? Well apparently a stable environment and a little me time is vital to the spleen but also certain foods can be of use. Including omega 3 and 6 which can be found in such foods as avocado, olive oil, coconut and coconut oil and even fish, though there is some argument as to the pollution of such fish and whether this particular source may be of greater harm than good. I recommend you stick to salmon if you insist on fish, or a supplement.

Further to oil and perhaps to be taken in conjunction with it is fresh juice. Juice removes the fibre from the fruit and vegetables allowing easier absorption of its nutrients through the stomach lining. Often all the fibre in fruits and vegetables will result in the excretion of many of the vitamins and minerals contained within the fruit. We can also drink eight oranges easier than we can eat them.

The following juice recipe should provide great spleen and hence immune system support.

FRESH JUICE RECIPE - Mix together equal amounts of the following to make 750mls

• Beetroot
• Carrot
• Apple
• Ginger
• Lemon/Lime Juice
• The spleen also responds positively to sitting upright especially when eating and exercise and stretching.

BONUS JUICE RECIPE

The following juice recipe combines an array of yellow and orange, food colours that are also associated with spleen health in Chinese medicine, but most importantly this juice should provide you with a massive hit of vitamins and minerals, specifically vitamin C.

FRESH JUICE RECIPE - Mix together equal amounts of the following juices to make 750ml:

• lemon
• carrot
• grapefruit
• orange
• Add 250ml of spring water and a pinch each of salt and black pepper.

Drink while chewing on a piece of fresh ginger

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Simple foods to boost your immune system and battle cold and flu by Sarah Brook

Winter is upon us again. This year we are going to have a little discussion about the healing property of simple food that you can put in your every day diet. 

Onions

Onions are one of the most powerful remedies that can be commonly found in the home and should not be ignored. Onions have super antioxidant power. They contain quercetin, a natural antihistamine that reduces airway inflammation and helps relieve symptoms of allergies and hay fever. Onions also boast high levels of vitamin C, which, along with the quercetin, battles cold and flu symptoms. Onions’ anti-inflammatory properties help fight the pain and swelling associated with osteo and rheumatoid arthritis. Onions are also extremely rich in sulphur and they have antibiotic and antiviral properties, making them excellent for people who consume a diet high in protein, fat, or sugar, as they help cleanse the arteries and impede the growth of viruses, yeasts, and other disease-causing agents, which can build up in an imbalanced diet.

Onions also contain potent anti-carcinogenic enzymes and may help lower the risk of prostate and oesophageal cancers and coincidentally candida (see my previous article). It is suggested that they may help protect against stomach cancer and given their powerful stomach cleansing capability this seems logical. There also appears to be a link to reduced mortality from coronary heart disease. Onions contain sulphides that help lower blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as a peptide that can assist in the prevention of bone loss by inhibiting the loss of calcium and other bone minerals.

For all the health benefits onions provide, it would be ideal to eat one a day. However, if that’s not an option for you, buy a few a week and slowly begin to introduce them into your food. Blending them into soups may be a fabulous way to go. Raw onions provide the best nutrition, but they’re still great for you when they’re lightly cooked. And cooking meat at high temperatures (such as on a grill) with onions can help reduce or counteract carcinogens produced by the burnt meat surface.

Red Onions – The salad onion

The healing effect of red onions is greater than that of white onions. While the white onion is rich in vitamin E, the red onion contains both vitamins A and E. The onion is a powerful healer not only when eaten raw, but also fried, dried or boiled. Red onions are particularly powerful, as they contain large amounts of vitamins A and E, good for combating colds, coughs and other problems of the respiratory system.

Red onions are great as a cough syrup when you chop them and leave them in honey for 48 hours. When you get a cough just take a spoonful. The fresh juice of the onion can be rubbed on burns, bites and stings. Influenza patients can often recover within two to three days when they are given the juice of pounded onions in a warm infusion three times a day at the onset of the disease. To help combat the cold and flu also see Dr Shyam Singha’s recipe for onion soup, which incidentally is this issue’s recipe.

Kiwifruit

My most recent education in kiwifruit was whilst living in India, when an ayurvedic doctor was downing pints of it in order to balance blood sugar levels and boost the immune system. In my own experiments 12 kiwifruit juiced with the skins on managed to stop the common cold at it’s onset.

This nutrient-dense super fruit contains an amazing amount of vitamin C (double the amount found in oranges), has more fibre than apples, and is better than bananas as a high-potassium food. Kiwifruit’s particular blend of phytonutrients, vitamins, and minerals help to protect against heart disease, stroke, cancer, and respiratory disease. Kiwifruit’s natural blood-thinning properties work without the side effects of aspirin and support vascular health by reducing the formation of spontaneous blood clots, lowering LDL cholesterol, and reducing blood pressure. Multiple studies have shown that kiwifruit not only reduces oxidative stress and damage to DNA but also prompts damaged cells to repair themselves.

Kiwifruit is often prescribed as part of a dietary regimen to battle cancer and heart disease, while in Chinese medicine it’s used to accelerate the healing of wounds and sores. My mother eats two a day and this seems like a reasonable prescription.

Kale

When it comes to supporting the immune system you can’t look past your greens. Highly nutritious with powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties Kale is one of the best. One cup of cooked kale contains an astounding 1,328 percent of the RDA for vitamin K, 192 percent of the RDA for vitamin A, and 89 percent of the RDA for vitamin C. It’s also a good source of calcium and iron.

Kale is in the same plant family as broccoli and cabbage, and, like its cousins, contains high levels of the cancer-fighting compound sulphoraphane, which guards against prostate, gastric, skin and breast cancers by boosting the body’s detoxification enzymes and fighting free radicals in the body. The indoles in kale have been shown to protect against breast, cervical, and colon cancers. The vitamin K in kale promotes blood clotting, protects the heart, and helps build strong bones by anchoring calcium to the bone. It also has more antioxidant power than spinach, protecting against free-radical damage. Kale is extra rich in beta-carotene (containing seven times as much as broccoli), lutein, and zeaxanthin (ten times the amount in broccoli). In Chinese medicine, kale is used to help ease lung congestion.

Like cabbage, the more kale you can eat, the better. A daily serving is ideal. Eat it as much as you can, as long as you can find it fresh at your local grocery or farmer’s market. In some areas, it’s available all year; in others, it only makes an appearance during summer and autumn.

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This month we review three fabulous detox programmes. Brett Elliot's Ultimate Herbal Detox, Good Health's Body Cleanse(tm)Total body detox and Lifestreams Cleanse but first let's tackle the question of whether cleansing is just a myth or not.

Many will have heard people say that they don't 'believe' in detoxing and many recent studies claim to prove that a detox program or kit will not do anything more to detox the body's system than the body's system itself. The body after all should naturally detox. True, but to assume that the body will naturally excrete toxins would be to assume that the body's organs and system are functioning correctly, and given today's level of disease I would argue that this is not true. Much like training in a group fitness class wild assumptions are made that you are functional without the postural deformations that occur through sitting, injury, carrying your handbag or schoolbag over one shoulder. Assumptions that are generally false.
So I ask you, in a society of GE and GM foods with sugar, preservatives, colours not to mention any mild allergies you may have to these foods, plus herbicides pesticides, growth hormones, aspirin, prescription drugs and so on, is it any wonder that something in your body some organ might be not functioning properly and not detoxing your system properly?

The bad news is once say the stomach dysfunctions it has a knock on effect hitting the other organs - because they are all connected. Fruits and vegetables used to be better for you, but now fruits and vegetables are no longer ripened in the sun but come into a storage warehouse unripe from where they are sold into supermarkets so that by the time you buy them they are 50% to 100% ripe, thus compromising the vitamins minerals and phytonutrients or sun energy that your body can gain from the food that may help it to combat with daily life in a modern world. And so the purpose of supplements, super foods and detox supplements or kits, is to provide the system with the support required to kick start all the organs back into function in order to detox the system, whilst also supporting the body during the detox when it will be excreting more of everything than usual. The suppliment or kit should provide you with stomach support of some kind and perhaps suggest how you should be taking your vitamins if it doesn't provide an alternative within the kit.

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There are so many factors to consider when it comes to raising the nation’s children that their food and your own is probably one of the last things you think about on your way out the door in the morning. With the clean green and healthy cliché masking the truth about our food perhaps it should be the first thing we consider. After all bad diet and preservatives have been connected with many behavioural disorders such ADHD and even simple depression may be connected with poor diet.

If you choose the wrong kind of fuel, you might run out of energy before the day is over but with a little thought, healthy lunches with fruit and vegetables can provide all the energy needed by active children (or adults) without unwanted fats and sugars. So what is the right kind of fuel? What does a healthy lunch look like? What possibly could you offer in your school tuck shop?

Over the years carbohydrates have received some bad press from the dieting community. I am a vegetarian. If I don’t eat carbs then I don’t eat. An ex-model friend and I recently decided that our bodies responded best to sushi. Her little size eight body seemed only to lose weight when having days of only eating massive amounts of rice. I like carbs and I especially love rice, so unless your body seems to react badly to it, try it out. Experiment with all good unmodified carbs. if you can I would avoid bread and anything that goes through a metamorphosis in the oven i.e. dough to bread and anything that isn’t a whole food. Even pasta is something I try to stay away from as an adult. However with children, unless they react badly, pasta and rice are nice simple foods that provide lots of their much needed energy.

5+ A Day

The key with carbohydrates is to mix in lots of fibre. Five or more fruits and vegetables a day will provide this and will help keep your system moving. In fact the best order to eat your food is fruit first as it digests the fastest and lines the stomach with digestive enzymes. Children and adults alike should be encouraged to eat their fruit at interval in order to prep their stomach for lunch. Lunch should follow with a fabulous mix of savoury foods.

Onigiri is an easily made rice ball of sticky rice with brown or white rice (brown is obviously better as it’s a whole food). You can fill the centre with veges, avocado and meats if you choose. They are fabulous in flavour. Extra flavour can be added with the sparing use of a good brand of Soy Sauce (a good and complete source of essential amino acids i.e. protein). If possible try to avoid products from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan or Thailand (source British Food Standards Authority – FSA) as they may contain 3-MCPD. It occurs when hydrochloric acid is used to speed up the reaction of the soy protein, a cheaper method used by some manufacturers. New Zealand and Australia have standards limiting the quantity of these chemicals in Soy Sauce and other foods.

Homemade mayonnaise may also be suitable to add extra flavour to this little nugget of goodness. Please see the recipe section for instructions on how to make onigiri.

Fat

If you missed the last article on essential fatty acids you should follow this link.

Fats are essential for your immune system to work. You must have them in your diet to maintain a robust body. The right fats in your diet will even help you lose weight and research claims good fats combat high cholesterol. Avoid margarines for reasons also covered in previous articles. Butter is always the best option if you don’t like avocado and salt as a spread.

Nuts

Raw nuts are an excellent source of essential fats and digestive enzymes. Though raw nuts soaked overnight (activated nuts) are more effective and easier to absorb, they may not always be practical. I personally love soaked almonds as I think they have a better flavour.

Dried Fruit

More for children than for adults, dried fruit is a great snack, an excellent source of fibre and energy and natural sugar. These dried little goodies make excellent natural sweets. I would like to remind you of date rolls and redirect you to an early recipe on tstnz.com for Super Raw Chocolate Yum Balls (www.tstnz.com/health/Recipes.html#chocolateyumballs).

Dried fruit has a different affect as an adult. When we pass childhood our ability to eat all foods fades because our bodies are holding all sorts of imbalances.

Please read my previous articles on candida; How to overcome the sugar addiction and still have sweet treats: candida1 and Candida could be ruining your health on a daily basis: candida2 for more information.

The Snack Bar

AVOID!! Well in most cases avoid. If you are going to choose these items then at the very least read the label and make sure you know what you are buying. There are of course exceptions to these sugar loaded preservative crammed non biodegradable foods, Annies dried fruit strips would have to be one of them.

Instead of buying these sugar loaded, unhealthy foods, why not replace them with fresh fruit and vegetables. Children like finger food so why not slice carrots, peppers or apples instead of giving them a snack bar.

The Sandwich

Sadly with all the additives in bread and the sugar to hold the yeast, I wouldn’t recommend using the traditional loaf unless you have run out of alternatives. Whilst whole grain bread may be a good source of energy for children it still cannot be considered a whole food and usually has a few hidden nasties in it even if it’s just sugar.

There are however better options when it comes to bread choices. A pita pocket is merely flour water yeast and salt – though read the label. Some brands sneak in other stuff. Flat bread is also a wonderful alternative. The simplest of ingredients wrapped into thin flat bread makes life simple. Avocado, spinach, basil and chicken in a wrap with a raw honey and apple cider dipping vinaigrette in a separate container (preventing Sammy sogginess) YUM!!!

An Apple A Day

What a way to end a meal and highly recommended. Always throw an apple in a lunch box. Whilst it packs in another of your 5+ A Day, it is also a good way to stifle the feeling to overeat or look for treats. Apples provide a nice bit of sweet at the end of your meal and the acid combined with its’ crunchy nature really does clean your teeth.

Nutritional research verifies how apples are good for our health. Apples are rich in pectin, and soluble fibre, which is effective in lowering cholesterol levels. Apple pectin also acts as an antioxidant against the damaging portion of cholesterol in the blood stream. Many researchers suggest that people who eat fatty foods should, if possible, wash it down with pure, un-concentrated apple juice rather than the usual drink. Raw apples are the richest fruits in pectin, with the green apples leading other varieties.

It has been established that a diet rich in apple pectin may help protect against certain diseases. Japanese researchers have found that apple pectin can also decrease the chances of colon cancer. Apple pectin helps maintain intestinal balance by cleansing the intestinal tract with its soluble and insoluble fibres. Apple pectin tends to increase acidity in the large intestines and is advocated for those suffering from ulcer or colitis and for regulating blood pressure. Pectin is also effective in causing regressions in and preventing gallstones. There is also evidence that the regular use of apple pectin may lessen the severity of diabetes.

The Tuck Shop/ Canteen

It’s probably hard to get children to stop eating junk food but you can make it impossible to buy without purchasing a piece of fruit, a rice ball, or some other healthy food first.

What you drink

Finally it is important to decide what you will drink. Stick to water and pure fruit juice that’s not from concentrate. The best fruit juice is the one you make at home. Given what I just wrote about the humble apple, I would also suggest pure, un-concentrated apple juice. If you buy it from a shop read the label to ensure it is not from concentrate and doesn’t contain added sugar. Preferably though, source the apple juice from an orchard where you know it will be fresh and won’t contain preservatives or make it at home so you know all that is in the juice is apple. Apple juice holds its qualities the best once packaged and it has all those other fabulous benefits.

If you’re in the staffroom and have access to a kettle invest in a few bags of tea. Liquorice and peppermint are excellent for the stomach, white tea is a great antioxidant and any non milky tea is going to help the digestion process.

So now it’s all packaging. If you want kids to eat well you have to make it look appealing.

Good luck and best wishes for the new school year,

Sarah Brook

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Over the last two decades the misconceptions about fats have become more solidified. There are people who avoid them completely, some that think any vegetable fat is good for you and of course those that believe all saturated fat is bad for you. When perusing the shelves at the supermarket canola oil and other forms of vegetable oil permeate pretty much everything. I have bad news and great news, like all foods, the good the bad and the ugly are divided by levels of processing. The more it is processed the uglier the picture is and the more unhappy your body!

The fact is that we all need fats. Certain fats help nutrient absorption, nerve transmission, maintaining cell membrane integrity, promote the immune system and much more. Some fats promote good health whilst others increase the risk of heart disease and cause weight gain. The key is to replace bad fats with good fats in our diet. Unfortunately Most of what is labelled as ‘vegetable oil’ is simply heavily refined soybean oil or canola oil processed under high heat, pressure, and industrial solvents. Sometimes it may also contain heavily refined safflower, corn, grapeseed, or other oils. To make things worse often your processed food contains the nastier hydrogenated version of these oils, i.e. transfats. For those of you who don’t know what these are, transfats are the most carcinogenic oils you can put in your body.

The problem with canola oil, soybean oil, rice bran oil, corn oil, grapeseed oil, safflower oil, and other similar oils is that they are mostly composed of polyunsaturated fats which leave them prone to oxidation and free radical production when exposed to heat and light. Processed polyunsaturated oils are the most inflammatory inside our bodies because of their high reactivity to heat and light. This inflammation is what causes many of our internal problems such as heart disease, diabetes, and other degenerative diseases.

Generally the above oils are heavily refined during processing, so it makes them already inflammatory before you even cook with them (which does even more damage to the oil and us).
Here's the actual order of stability of a type of fat under heat and light (from least stable to most stable):
1. polyunsaturated
2. monounsaturated
3. saturated
This said it makes sense that you want to cook with unprocessed saturated fats.

MYTH No.1: Oh but hang on aren’t saturated fats meant to be bad for you? Right?
Rubbish!

Processed saturated fat is bad for you as is any processed polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fat. Recent information on the market shows that cold pressed extra virgin saturated fats can even be extremely good for you and promote your metabolism. That’s right, they actually help you lose weight.

History has proven that a diet rich in unadulterated saturated fat is actually less harmful than current alternatives. Our ancestors lived on a diet rich in grease, lard, and butter. Those were the only oils they ever used. It wasn't until the 20th century that vegetable oils became widely available. Use of oils rich in saturated fat has declined over time while the use of vegetable oils has gone through the roof. Along with the greater use of vegetable oil and the decreased use of saturated fat has come a plague of degenerative diseases. To blame cholesterol and saturated fat for the heart disease, cancer, and other degenerative diseases does not fit the facts and is inconsistent with the historical record.

Two ecological studies in the 1980s from Japan found correlations between increased fat intake and decreased death from ischemic stroke in humans. In another study of Japanese men living in Hawaii, intake of both total fat and saturated fat was inversely associated with all stroke mortality. These studies were ignored because they were contrary to the prevailing belief that saturated fat promotes ischemic stroke rather than protects us from it.

On December 24, 1997, headlines around the world proclaimed that saturated fat lowers rate of strokes. This pronouncement came after the publication of a 20-year study performed by Dr. Matthew Gillman and colleagues at Harvard Medical School and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. In conformity with other studies performed in Japan, intakes of saturated fat were associated with reduced risk of ischemic stroke in men. The study also showed that the highest incidence of stroke was associated with the most polyunsaturated fat consumption.

In fact the concept that all saturated fat is bad for you only serves the promoters of processed polyunsaturated and/ or monounsaturated goods, such as most cooking oils and sandwich spreads, including margarine. Even some peanut butter comes with the added and unnecessary bonus of a ‘vegetable oil’ of some description.

So what’s the answer? Quite simply – use butter, and cold pressed extra virgin oils. Some are more suitable than others depending on the use.

Be sure to read next time, when I cover the best saturated fat ever and good cholesterol...yes i said GOOD cholesterol.

Have fun throwing out your margarine!

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Last month’s article was the first in the series of articles on Fat. We started by discussing basic misconceptions about fat. Different people and different generations have different beliefs about what is good and bad for you, so we set about destroying one of the most common myths – saturated fat is bad for you.

We then went on to reaffirm that processing is what is bad for you and that fats poly-, mono-, or saturated can be very good for you in their extra and/or virgin cold pressed form. The benefits of using virgin saturated fats for high temperature cooking were also discussed. This month we are going to discuss Virgin Coconut oil and all its fabulous uses, cooking and otherwise and Myth No. 2 – That all cholesterol is bad for you!

Myth No. 2 – That all cholesterol is bad for you

Let’s get this out of the way first. It is simply not true. There are in fact several types of cholesterol, and when they measure your cholesterol often they contrast HDL – the good cholesterol and LDL – the bad cholesterol. HDL cholesterol – the good stuff, appears to scour the walls of blood vessels, cleaning out excess cholesterol. It then carries that excess cholesterol – which otherwise might have been used to make the ‘plaques’ that cause coronary artery disease – back to the liver for processing. So when a person's HDL cholesterol level is measured, it seems to be measure how vigorously his or her blood vessels are being freed of bad cholesterol.

So where do we find this magical HDL cholesterol? Cold pressed virgin or extra virgin oils are good sources. In fact coconut oil, one of the most fabulous saturated fats ever, contains HDL cholesterol.

I’d like to remind you of one of last week’s revelations:

Saturated fats are actually the healthiest oils to cook with! 

VIRGIN or EXTRA VIRGIN COCONUT OIL is one of the best of these! (Note that in the case of coconut oil, there is no difference in quality between extra-virgin and virgin coconut oil of the same brands).

Coconut has a unique genetic structure and may be referred to as a food of ‘total nutrition’. The water of a coconut is naturally isotonic and perfect for anyone suffering from a little dehydration or those looking to swap those nasty artificial sports drinks for something that works as well if not better. Coconut water has in fact the same genetic structure as human blood and as a result was successfully used in the war to thin the blood and make it go further.  

Coconut cream – extracted by milking the inner white flesh of the coconut is wonderful for cooking with and is ideal for the most fabulous of curries. If you take this refining process a step further separating as much liquid from the cream as possible you end up with oil, which is a fabulous saturated fat that is multidimensional in its benefits. Coconut oil has antiviral, antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antiprotozoal properties and like all whole (unprocessed or raw processed) foods contains nutrients for a healthy body. 

Modern medical science is now confirming the use of coconut in treating many conditions. Published studies in medical journals show that coconut, in one form or another may provide a wide range of health benefits. Some of these I have detailed below as points of interest and others I have merely listed because there are just too many. 

Immune System:  Over many decades coconut oil received bad publicity due to its saturated fat content, but research has shown that not all saturated fats are alike and coconut oil is unique in its structural make-up.  It is not only the highest source of saturated fats (92%) but included in this is the highest source of saturated medium chain triglycerides (MCT) (62%) of any naturally occurring vegan food source. Around 50% of these MCT’s are made up of lauric acid, the most important essential fatty acid in building and maintaining the body’s immune system. Interestingly the only other source of lauric acid found in such high concentrations is in mother’s milk.  The closest other source of these vital building blocks for our immune system would be milk fat and butter, comprising of only 3% approx of its content. Any other vegetable oil is completely deficient in these medium chain fatty acids.\

Improve cholesterol ratio: Research shows that replacing other cooking oils with virgin coconut oil and even taking raw virgin coconut oil as a supplement generally creates a more favourable HDL/ LDL cholesterol ratio.

Increased Metabolism: Research shows that some saturated fat is necessary for human health. Modern research also shows that the medium chain fatty acids (MCFA) help to increase metabolism and are more easily digested than fats found in other oils.  This is because they are processed directly in the liver and immediately converted into energy, putting less strain on the liver, pancreas and digestive system. These MCFA provide the body with a wonderful, quick source of energy. 

Hair Care: Coconut oil reduces protein loss in undamaged and damaged hair. I have been running an experiment myself and have found my hair more resistant to split ends. Coconut oil can be used for both pre-wash and a post-wash hair care though I recommend only massaging into the ends after washing. It also reduces dandruff, lice and lice eggs.

This is yet unproven but a good friend of mine even claims he reversed baldness by massaging it into his scalp every day!

Skin Care: Liquefy the oil and then use as a skin cream — a great moisturiser for all skin types, delays wrinkles and sagging, helps to treat psoriasis, dermatitis and eczema. 

Bones and Teeth: Improves absorption of minerals including calcium and magnesium.

Teeth and Gums: Kills bacteria including those that cause throat infections, gum disease and cavities. I recommend gargling with it and even brushing with it morning and night. Make sure you spit out the oil after the process as it will contain all the nasties that were lurking in the dark crevasses of your mouth. You can brush with toothpaste afterwards if you wish but I personally haven’t found this necessary. Unproven medically but a suggestion has been made that it may also help to whiten teeth!

In Summary:

What Coconut Oil DOES NOT:  

• Does not increase blood cholesterol level. 
• Does not promote platelet stickiness or blood clot formation. 
• Does not contribute to atherosclerosis or heart disease. 
• Does not contribute to weight problems.

Used regularly as a natural health food and internal cleanser for the digestive system, teeth, skin and hair, it has been show that Coconut Oil:  

• Reduces risk of atherosclerosis and related illnesses.
• Kills viruses that cause influenza, herpes, measles, hepatitis C, SARS, AIDS, and other illnesses.
• Kills bacteria that cause ulcers, throat infections, urinary tract infections, gum disease and cavities, pneumonia, and gonorrhoea, and other diseases.
• Kills fungi and yeasts that cause candidiasis, ringworm, athlete's foot, thrush, diaper rash, and other infections.
• Expels or kills tapeworms, lice, giardia, and other parasites.
• Reduces risk of cancer and other degenerative conditions.
• Helps prevent bacterial, viral, and fungal (including yeast) infections.
• Supports immune system function.
• Helps control diabetes by improving insulin secretion and utilization of blood glucose.
• Provides an immediate source of energy, boosting energy and endurance, enhancing physical and athletic performance.
• Supports healthy metabolic function.
• Improves digestion and absorption of other nutrients including vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.
• Supplies important nutrients necessary for good health.
• Relieves stress on pancreas and enzyme systems of the body.
• Reduces symptoms associated with pancreatitis.
• Reduces problems associated with malabsorption syndrome and cystic fibrosis.
• Improves calcium and magnesium absorption, supporting the development of strong bones and teeth.
• Helps protect against osteoporosis.
• Helps relieve symptoms associated with gallbladder disease.
• Relieves symptoms associated with Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and stomach ulcers.
• Improves digestion and bowel function.
• Relieves pain and irritation caused by haemorrhoids.
• Reduces inflammation.
• Supports tissue healing and repair.
• Supports and aids immune system function.
• Helps protect the body from breast, colon, and other cancers.
• Is heart healthy; improves cholesterol ratio, reducing the risk of heart disease.
• Supplies fewer calories than other fats.
• Promotes loss of excess weight by increasing metabolic rate.
• Helps prevent osteoporosis.
• Has a mild delicate flavour.
• Is highly resistant to spoilage (long shelf life).
• Is heat resistant (the healthiest oil for cooking).
• Functions as a protective antioxidant.
• Helps prevent periodontal disease and tooth decay.
• Does not deplete the body's antioxidant reserves like other oils do.
• Improves utilization of essential fatty acids and protects them from oxidation.
• Helps relieve symptoms associated with chronic fatigue syndrome.
• Relieves symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (prostate enlargement).
• Reduces epileptic seizures.
• Helps protect against kidney disease and bladder infections.
• Dissolves kidney stones.
• Helps prevent liver disease.
• Is lower in calories than all other fats.
• Supports thyroid function.
• Is utilized by the body to produce energy in preference to being stored as body fat like other dietary fats.
• Applied topically helps to form a chemical barrier on the skin to ward of infection.
• Reduces symptoms associated the psoriasis, eczema, and dermatitis.
• Supports the natural chemical balance of the skin.
• Softens skin and helps relieve dryness and flaking.
• Helps prevent premature aging and wrinkling of the skin and age spots.
• Helps protect against skin cancer and other blemishes.
• Promotes healthy looking hair and complexion.
• Helps control dandruff.
• Does not form harmful by-products when heated to normal cooking temperature like other vegetable oils do.
• Has no harmful or discomforting side effects.
• Is completely non-toxic to humans.

My choices for top healthy cooking oils:

• Virgin Coconut Oil – Surprise!
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (only for low temperature cooking)
• Real Butter – despite my sometimes vegan habits butter always seemed okay to me.

Of course, cooking with oils in moderation is ok and can actually help satisfy your appetite more, but be careful not to overdo it as the calories can add up!

So until the next instalment on saturated fat...
Happy chomping!

For a great breakfast smoothie made with virgin coconut oil please see last months recipe: www.tstnz.com/health/Recipes.html

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A deficiency of unsaturated oils has been linked to a long list of problems ranging from arthritis to MS, heart disease, high cholesterol levels and cancer. The Omega-3 and Omega- 6 fatty acids in proper balance play a vital part in normalizing many body functions. As mentioned in Parts one and two of Not All Fats are Created Equal, good fats compete with bad fats, so it's important to minimize the intake of trans fats and cholesterol while consuming enough good fats. Also, good fats raise your HDL or ‘good cholesterol’. One of the jobs of this High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) or ‘good cholesterol’ is to escort your bad cholesterol, LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein), to the liver where it is broken down and excreted. This means you can negate the damage you have done with good oil.

Essential Fatty acids – Omega-3 and 6 are also instrumental in preventing a pro-inflammatory cycle which can be instigated by excessive intake of the wrong kinds of fats and fatty acids, which are present in most processed foods. One problem with achieving this balance is that the Omega 6 fatty acids are much more common, being in most of the oils we use, such as ‘vegetable’ oil, which in effect is present in almost all processed foods. My preference in mono-unsaturated or Omega 9s is for olive and nut oils; Omega 9s are essentially neutral, where most cooking oils are Omega 6s.

Omega-3

Omega-3s are used in the formation of cell walls, making them supple and flexible. They also improve circulation and oxygen uptake with proper red blood cell flexibility and function. Omega-3 deficiencies are linked to decreased memory and mental abilities, tingling sensation of the nerves, poor vision, increased tendency to form blood clots, diminished immune function, increased triglycerides and ‘bad’ cholesterol (LDL) levels, impaired membrane function, hypertension, irregular heart beat, learning disorders, menopausal discomfort, itchiness on the front of the lower leg(s), and growth retardation in infants, children, and pregnant women.

Flaxseed oil (flaxseed oil has the highest linolenic content of any food with only one tablespoon per day providing enough Omega-3 fatty acids for a slightly overweight adult.), flaxseeds, flaxseed meal, hempseed oil, hempseeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, Brazil nuts, sesame seeds, avocados, some dark leafy green vegetables (kale, spinach, silverbeet etc.), wheat germ oil, salmon, mackerel, sardines, anchovies, albacore tuna, and others are all sources of Omega-3. Though I personally question the benefit of fish given the level of pollution it maybe subject to whilst alive.

Research any oil products you use to see how they should be stored and to see which brand, despite price, is the best, for example flaxseed oil used for dietary supplementation should be kept in the refrigerator or freezer, and purchased from a supplier who refrigerates the liquid as well.

Omega-6

Some Omega-6s improve diabetic neuropathy, rheumatoid arthritis, PMS, skin disorders (e.g. psoriasis and eczema), and aid in cancer treatment, providing of course that your system is healthy enough to convert the linoleic acid present in Omega-6 oils into gamma linolenic acid (GLA), which will later be synthesized, with EPA from the Omega-3 group, into eicosanoids.

Diets rich in sugar, alcohol, or trans fats from processed foods, as well as smoking, pollution, stress, aging, viral infections, and other illnesses such as diabetes cause metabolic problems that often can’t absorb the Omega 6. Good sources of Omega 6 include Flaxseed oil, flaxseeds, flaxseed meal, hempseed oil, hempseeds, grapeseed oil, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, pistachio nuts, sunflower seeds (raw), olive oil, olives, borage oil, evening primrose oil, black currant seed oil, chestnut oil, organic free range chicken, among many others. Some meat sources, especially wild meats may also contain some Omega 6.

Omega-9 (Oleic Acid)

Though not technically an EFA because the human body can manufacture a limited amount provided essential EFAs are present, Omega-9 is still essential. Monounsaturated oleic acid lowers heart attack risk and arteriosclerosis while aiding in cancer prevention.

One to two tablespoons of extra virgin or virgin olive oil per day should provide sufficient oleic acid for adults. However, the ‘time-released’ effects of obtaining these nutrients from nuts and other whole foods is thought to be more beneficial due to less processing and the slow release effect than consuming the entire daily amount via a single oil dose. You may find olives, avocados, almonds, peanuts, sesame oil, pecans, pistachio nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts and other nuts useful sources of Oleic acid, plus of course coconut oil – please see last month’s article for the benefits of coconut oil.

Rice Bran Oil, Canola, ‘Vegetable Oil’ and food in general!

In case you weren’t tuned in to the last articles I would like to reiterate the importance of processing, or rather the importance of as little processing as possible. The benefits of raw and cold pressed virgin oils are phenomenal. However the refined and hydrogenated versions of these foods are problematic and can cause everything from depression to heart problems. In fact this is true of all of your foods. Unprocessed and less messed with is best. If you didn’t prepare it then chances are that whoever did wasn’t thinking of your health and was most likely trying to find the cheapest way to make a buck.

In other words oils such as rice bran and canola oil and the mystery ‘vegetable oil’ despite the claims that they are healthy oils to cook with, are so processed, refined and possibly genetically altered that any health benefits have long been stripped cooked and bleached out of them. Yes that’s right bleached! I once attended a seminar where the host informed me that oils processed at high temperatures such as ‘vegetable oil’ have to be bleached in order to remove the black gunk floating in the final product.

Finally to reiterate previous articles when it comes to cooking with oil unprocessed saturated fat is best and coconut oil is my favourite. All previous articles can be found by following this link:
www.tstnz.com/health.html

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Is your ‘Good Diet’ and vitamin supplementation making you antibiotic resistant and loading you with carcinogenic heavy metals?
Genetically Engineered food appeared on supermarket shelves globally in the 90’s without the consumers’ knowledge. Since then our own concerns plus warnings from various experts, including doctors and geneticists, have generally been ignored and GE food still remains poorly tested, monitored and in New Zealand, poorly labelled. With up to 70% of processed food in your local supermarket now containing GE foods, it’s worth a further look.

The Trans-Tasman food regulator FSANZ does not test GE foods, it relies on evidence provided by the companies that produce the products. These companies are expected to monitor the effects their products have and notify government authorities of any problems. While this is cost effective for FSANZ and government agencies, it might not be the most reliable way to accurately monitor the effects of GE products.

Substantial Equivalence – a safety standard governing the GE foods on the market today requires that GE food is ‘grossly similar to its natural counterpart’. The assumption is made that if it is similar, it must be safe, ignoring the fact that GE technology bypasses nature and its boundaries in order to create food strains that have never existed before. Unfortunately GE foods unlike their natural counterpart may contain toxic metals, fungi toxins, unexpected allergens and antibiotic resistant genes plus many more unhealthy materials. These may be present in about 70 % of processed foods.

GE crops, otherwise known as transgenic crops, could bring new allergens into foods rendering previously safe foods allergenic. An example is transferring the gene for one of the many allergenic proteins found in milk into vegetables like carrots, a problem unique to genetic engineering because it is the only way to transfer proteins across species boundaries into completely unrelated organisms. A study by scientists at the University of Nebraska shows that soybeans genetically engineered to contain Brazil-nut proteins cause reactions in individuals allergic to Brazil nuts.

Genetic engineering often uses genes for antibiotic resistance as ‘selectable markers’ early in the engineering process. These markers may remain in the plant after their usefulness has passed. There may be two harmful effects of this. First, eating these foods could reduce the effectiveness of antibiotics to fight disease, when these antibiotics are taken with meals. Antibiotic-resistance genes produce enzymes that can degrade antibiotics. Secondly, the resistant genes could be transferred to human or animal pathogens, making them similarly resistant to antibiotics. Should this transfer occur, it could aggravate the already serious health problem of antibiotic-resistant disease organisms.

Some new genes being added to crops can remove heavy metals like mercury from the soil and concentrate them in the plant tissue enabling the use of municipal sludge as fertilizer. Sludge contains useful plant nutrients, but often cannot be used as fertilizer because it is contaminated with toxic heavy metals. The idea is to engineer plants to remove and sequester those metals in inedible parts of plants by placing genetic on/ off switches that cleverly identify edible and non edible parts of the plant. There is a risk of contaminating foods with high levels of toxic metals is possible if these on/ off switches are not completely turned off in edible tissues. There are also environmental risks associated with the handling and disposal of the metal-contaminated parts of plants after harvesting.

Due to the reliance on companies producing GE crops to also provide us with the research and information pertaining to their crops, we are seriously limited in being able to assess the potential risks that these crops may have.

According to FSANZ laws refined products such as sugars, oils, starches, alcohol and additives derived from GE crops are exempt and escape labelling. Animal products derived fully or partly from GE feed including milk, eggs and honey are also exempt. Products made using GE bacteria, enzymes and fungi such as alcohol, cheese, sugar and vitamins also won’t be labelled on the basis that no DNA or protein remains in the final product. However proteins may cause food allergens and proteins are present in oils, hence why people allergic to nuts are usually allergic to the oil as well. With the amount of food from GE crops exempt from GE labelling, you need to know what may be written between the lines.

The main GE products you need to watch out for are Canola oil, corn and soy.

The following list may contain GE:

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When I started the research for this article I was thinking about a simple tour of Candida and the disorders it may cause such as chronic fatigue, bloating, irritability, period cramps, headaches, cravings and many other common problems.

Now I feel I need to address how often
this disease is misdiagnosed and even if diagnosed how it is so poorly treated. I would also like to discuss the potential link between cancer and Candida but as this is a whole topic on its own, it will be covered in next month’s article. In the meantime let’s concentrate on Candida, what it is and what you can do about it.

Whenever the immune system is severely depressed and cannot function normally it opens up the body to many diseases and malfunctions. Some, but not all, of these diseases are:  Arthritis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Celiac Disease/ Gluten Sensitivity, Crohn's Disease, Epstein-Barr Virus (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), Fibromyalgia (muscle pain and weakness), Thyroid Diseases, HIV/AIDS, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, Myasthenia Gravis (a neuromuscular disease in which there is a failure of the nerves' ability to stimulate and control the actions of certain muscles), Sjogren's (a condition in which certain glands become inflamed, which interferes with the production of tears and saliva), Rheumatoid Arthritis, Cancer, and many others.

Candida is very opportunist when the immune system malfunctions, with excess Candida found in most cases. Therefore autoimmune diseases should respond well to a Candida reduction program, particularly a diet and supplements, because they build up and strengthen the immune system enabling the body to heal itself. 

After working for several years with a natural therapist who successfully treated Candida in both men and women and often treated cancer in much the same way, I feel I can safely say that when it comes to Candida and cancer the medical profession is misinformed. Internet research shows that as many as 1 in 3 people suffer from Candida and this ratio could in fact be much higher.  A great colleague and budding vegetarian friend once said if you eat meat, wheat, dairy or sugar you will have problems with Candida suggesting that you are only safe if you’re a hard core health freak and vegan. Of course there are ways to negate your bad eating habits but there is a limit. Neurotic monitoring and obsession may cause just as many problems as no monitoring at all. Everything in moderation is by far the rule to live by.

So what is Candida and how do you recognise it?

Candida is naturally present in your system. A certain amount of it should be allowed and be no cause for concern. When you have an imbalance of Candida, it is often described by Chinese and Tibetan medical practitioners as being too ‘damp’ or too ‘cold’ or sometimes low in ’fire’.

Candida causes a list of symptoms; the most common are:

·         Vaginal infections

·         Athlete’s foot

·         Pink eye

·         Thrush

·         Skin rashes

·         Urinary tract infections

It also causes less obvious afflictions including:

·         Gas

·         Constipation

·         Acne

·         Chronic fatigue

·         Chronic illness

·         Weight gain

·         Sexual dysfunction

·         Halitosis

·         Headaches

·         Mental confusion

·         Insomnia

·         Sugar cravings and much more.

Too much Candida in the system has also been linked to depression and mental health issues. Often people only associate Candida with thrush, balanitus and female conditions, but not only can men have genital cracking redness itching and soreness attributed to excess Candida leaking out of the body, but are also more often afflicted by most of the afflictions mentioned above.

Many physicians if they come to a correct diagnosis treat the symptoms of excess Candida rather than treating the cause. What is the cause? It’s a lack of oxygen in the system, generally caused by poor diet/toxicity and a lack of exercise.

The western treatment for Candida is antibiotics. Antibiotics can actually increase the over-development of Candida in the body and so in my opinion it is better to treat the symptoms of Candida with other forms of treatment first.

So what can you do?

Most chemicals, drugs and foods that have been processed can be not only toxic but also acidic. Acidity and Candida have a strong connection therefore alkaline foods can cancel out some of the damage these acidic foods can do. Unfortunately to gain control of the Candida in your system meat, wheat, sugar, processed, mouldy, or yeast based foods and dairy should be avoided. This is not to say you can’t have them ever again, just that you need to understand them and how they affect your body. The easiest way to do this is to first eliminate them and gain control of your Candida by reverting to the Candida diet and/or a macrobiotic diet.

The Candida Reduction diet includes:

VEGETABLES – Your best friend in the war on Candida:
 

• Asparagus
• Avocado
• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Cabbage
• Carrot (Raw and freshly juiced only)
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Collard (Collard Greens, Borekale)
• Cucumber
• Aubergine (Eggplant)
• Garlic (raw)
• Kale (Borecole)
• Leeks
• Okra (Lady’s Fingers)
• Onions
• Peppers and capsicums
• Radish
• Seaweed
• Spaghetti marrow (Spaghetti squash)
• Spinach
• Vegetable Marrows (Summer squash)
• Courgette (Zucchini)
• Silverbeet
• Tomatoes
• Turnip

Vegetables starve the Candida of the sugar and mould diet that it feeds on. They also absorb fungal poisons and carry them out of your body.

Avoid starchy vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, potatoes, yams, corn, beetroot (unless raw), peas, parsnips and all beans except green beans. You should buy your vegetables fresh and eat them raw, steamed or grilled. Add a little garlic, onions or leeks for flavour as they are especially helpful with Candida due to their anti-fungal quality.

Whilst cooked carrots are to be avoided, raw carrots have an anti-fungal quality and I have had a huge amount of success with carrot juice on an empty stomach. Green fresh juice containing celery, kale, and spinach is fabulous. If you must add fruit go for a green apple or a whole lemon. Juice must be freshly made and not from a packet. Pasteurised juices are acidic and generally full of hidden nasties. Good fresh vegetable juice is alkaline.

LIVE YOGHURT CULTURES (not from cow)
 

• Probiotics

Live yoghurt cultures (from goat and sheep milk are recommended to help your gut to repopulate itself with good bacteria. You can also use vegan probiotics. The live bacteria in the yoghurt will crowd out the Candida yeast and restore balance to your system. It is also especially useful after a course of antibiotics, or when a patient is suffering from Candida. Good bacteria will also produce antifungal enzymes that can help you fight Candida

PROTEINS – The Candida Reduction diet also includes these though I would suggest you avoid them for a few days initially.
 

• Beef
• Chicken
• Fish
• Eggs

Proteins are almost completely free of sugars and mould, so they fill you up while restricting the Candida. Eat fresh and organic meat if possible. Processed meat like lunch meat, bacon and spam, is loaded with dextrose nitrates, sulphates and sugars and therefore is to be avoided. Smoked or vacuum packed meats are also best avoided.  

I would also personally avoid eggs. Some research shows that cooked eggs need further investigation as to whether they help or hinder Candida growth in the body.

NUTS AND SEEDS
 

• Nuts and seeds that don't contain high mould content

Nuts are a high protein food that starves Candida and restricts its growth. Avoid peanuts, pistachios and cashews as they tend to have higher mould content.  You can remove mould by soaking the nuts in water. This also removes the enzyme inhibitors, thus creating a live enzymatic food that will help with your digestion and kill the Candida. You could also spray the nuts with a diluted grapefruit seed extract solution.

NON-GLUTINOUS GRAINS – Grains are a fabulous part of the Candida diet, but can sometimes slow initial results. I would leave them out for the first couple of days and then enjoy ensuring you test the effect each grain has on your system.
 

• Buckwheat
• Millet
• Amaranth
• Quinoa
• Wild and brown rice

Buy the organic grain and bring to the boil, then simmer until tender. Add rock salt on serving, not before. Also if you are using rice, remember to wash it before cooking.

Grains contain a high amount of fibre, excellent for keeping the colon clear so Candida doesn't get a chance to multiply. Grains also act like a pipe cleaner in your intestine, grabbing nasty toxins like pollutants, chemicals, pesticides and heavy metals on their way through.

HERBS AND SPICES
 

• Basil
• Black Pepper
• Cayenne Pepper
• Coriander
• Cinnamon
• Cloves
• Cumin
• Curry
• Dill
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Nutmeg
• Oregano
• Paprika
• Rosemary
• Tarragon
• Thyme
• Turmeric

All of the above contain antioxidants and anti-fungal properties, increase circulation and reduce inflammation plus improve digestion and alleviate constipation.

Most herbs and spices are beneficial in your fight against Candida. They are also great for livening up food if you're on a limited Candida diet.

OILS
 

• Virgin Coconut Oil
• Olive Oil
• Sesame Oil
• Pumpkin Seed Oil
• Macadamia Oil
• Almond Oil
• Flax Oil
• Safflower Oil
• Sunflower Oil
• Coconut Oil
• Coconut Butter
• Ghee
• Organic Butter

Use cold pressed oils. I would recommend a good omega 3 and 6 seed oil blend in the morning with your vegetable juice. A tablespoon of oil may be awful to the taste but is a wonderful set up to your day and helps repress cravings for the bad food. Heating or boiling destroys many of the oils' nutrients. 

HERBAL TEAS
 

• Cinnamon Tea
• Clove Tea
• Chamomile Tea
• Pau D'arco Tea
• Peppermint Tea
• Ginger Tea
• Liquorice Tea
• Lemongrass Tea
• Green Tea
• White Tea

All of these herbal teas have antifungal properties. If you're missing your morning coffee, try Green or White Tea instead.

A NOTE ON RAW FOOD:

If in doubt, try it raw. Most raw foods are alkaline. Raw apple cider vinegar is also alkaline and can rectify your system quickly.

Supplements:

Probiotics – Non Dairy vegan and chilled organic probiotics are best. Your local organic store will keep them in their fridge near you. 

Multivitamins – Buy a good quality one such as Solgar; badly manufactured supplements can be hard on the liver and kidneys.

Aloe Vera Juice or capsules – Unfortunately it’s hard to find a good brand in NZ but get what you can.  

Vitamin C – Camu Camu is the best, most natural option here in my opinion.

Sea Greens/ Kelp tablets/ Spirulina is a great alkaline product.

Grapefruit Seed Extract/ Golden Seal/ Olive Leaf Extract/Apple Cider Tablets – All fantastic anti-fungals of varying strength. Some suit some individuals more than others. I would start with apple cider as I can’t see it causing major issues.

Zeolite Powder – This must be the powder. The theory is that it removes heavy metals from the system. Is best used in conjunction with MMS but can be used separately also. I personally like it and have had great results with it.

MMS – Magical Mineral Supplement. A great product, at least I have found it to be. Unfortunately it smells like chlorine and some companies don’t send you enough activator, but you can use lemon juice. I would recommend you use Zeolite Powder about half an hour after taking MMS to help remove toxins.

Candida specific supplements such as Candi-Gone may be fabulous. Some may be just jumping on the band wagon. Investigate the products before you buy and feel free to ask me if you get stuck.

The Candida Reduction diet avoids:
 

• Basically anything processed. If you can’t recognise what it looked like before it landed on your plate then don’t eat it.
• All sweets including hidden sweeteners in processed foods, such as soups, all fruit and fruit juice.
• Pre-prepared, processed flake cereals and sprouted grain cereals even if some are made from the good grains previously mentioned such as: Amaranth, Buckwheat, Corn, Millet, Rice, Rye, Spelt, Wheat.
• Granola, Pearl barley, Instant oats, Cornmeal, degerminated Hominy grits, degerminated Microwave popcorn, Blue corn meal.
• Pasta. Pasta is flour and water, the flour may be white bread flour and it may be durum flour made from semolina, it may even be rice flour. All types of noodles are made from the same base and they should all be cut out of the diet. Ultimately you should consider any pasta to be processed.
• All cakes, pastries, cookies doughnuts or other processed baked food containing sugar. This list includes white bread and any bread containing wheat, which includes parathas, nanas bread, pita bread, white flour tortillas, wheat dough tortillas, sourdough, or any other ethnic bread made from wheat. Mochi, the sweet unleavened bread made from brown rice should also be avoided.
• Beans and peas with sweeteners, tempeh which is a type of fermented tofu, tofu and textured vegetable protein.
• Dairy Products including Buttermilk, Soymilk (sweetened), all kinds of cheeses, Cottage cheese, Kefir, Milk, Sour cream, Crème fraiche and Sweetened yogurt.
• Fruit and dried fruit. It is food to Candida, and when you start the Candida Cleanse Diet, it is best to avoid all fruit because of the fructose or sugar it contains. Once you have eliminated the current Candida infection you can eat fruit with a moderate amount of sugar. Low sugar fruits are apples, grapefruit, melon, and strawberries.
• Beverages including alcohol, cereal beverages, coffee both regular and decaffeinated plus fruit juices. Soft drinks including the diet soft drinks should be avoided. Processed tea drinks such as lemon tea all fruit teas and black tea are a big no no!
• Ketchup or catsup or any type of tomato sauce, cream sauces such as Alfredo Steak sauce, capers, dried or powdered garlic, Miso, dried or powdered onion, pickles or chutneys. Also avoid anything made with sugar, spices, distilled vinegar (not including raw active apple cider vinegar) and sauerkraut.
• Cooked beetroot, canned tomatoes (or anything tinned), cooked carrots, cucumber skins, all types of mushrooms, potato skins and prepared soups.

Your Body: You’re the Expert

You must remember that you are the expert of you and you may find some foods don’t suit you even though they are on the recommended list. You may also find some foods are fine even though they are on the ‘Avoid’ list. Ultimately it’s up to you.

I recommend that you start with a couple of days of eating only vegetables and then slowly branch out. The first month should be your serious month. During this month be tough, don’t eat out and don’t drink. I would recommend watching some comedy (laughter has been connected with re-oxygenation and has been very helpful in the treatment of Candida), taking up yoga or going to the gym.

If none of this works and all is not well, see the doctor.

Once Your Candida is under control:

It’s time to start reintroducing foods. Please resist the urge to do it all at once. Introduce a food once every two days or so. So you can gauge how it affects you. You may choose not to reintroduce everything. You may find some foods are your kryptonite. Be nice to yourself and every now and again have a detox/maintenance day.

Good luck, and if you have problems, you can always drop me a line asksarah@tstnz.com
Warm Wishes,
Sarah.

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From a holistic angle the concept of treating symptoms as opposed to the root cause of a disease is the same as taping a tree together when it has a deadly fungus growing on the roots – it’s superficial and ultimately the tree dies. Unfortunately western medicine is generally geared towards this approach and unfortunately we suffer and we die.
As previously discussed in last month’s article the cause of many common complaints is often candida and in the case of western medicine this is often overlooked and treated with anti-depressants, antibiotics and other drugs that ultimately do little to target the real problem. They can even make it worse. So are you rotting away from the inside out? Is candida leading to a cancerous death?

How effective is chemotherapy?

There is one study in 2004, conducted using Australian and US data that addresses that question specifically.

It concluded:

‘As the 5-year relative survival rate for cancer in Australia is now over 60%, it is clear that cytotoxic chemotherapy only makes a minor contribution to cancer survival. To justify the continued funding and availability of drugs used in cytotoxic chemotherapy, a rigorous evaluation of the cost-effectiveness and impact on quality of life is urgently required.’

More of this report can be found here:

Dr Hulda Clarke wrote a book 'The cure for all cancers' in which she stated her belief that all cancers had parasites at their root cause. And that the growth of modern chemicals in our blood streams meant these parasites could avoid the need for a second host. Back in the 1930’s Dr Royal Rife also suggested a 'parasite' theory.

In the 1970's equipment and technology was too limited to further investigate the ‘parasite’ theory. Renewed interest has led to the discovery of a bacterium Helicobacter pylori. This has been found to cause stomach ulcers and since 2001 it has been seen as the cause of stomach cancers.

Humanpapilloma virus (HPV) is known to cause cervical cancer. In June 2006 Cancer Watch researchers have found what some have been saying for years - infections of microbes in the intestines cause colon cancer. Viruses, microbes, bacteria and fungi are simply parasites by another name, and even Cancer Research UK now believes that 15 per cent of all cancers may have 'infection' as a cause.

Yeast has still been ignored though, maybe because antibiotics are to blame for the occurrence and increased spread of yeast infections otherwise known as candida. Antibiotics wipes the entire system clean, destroying bacteria that would ordinarily defend against such infections and once infection has begun, ‘friendly’ bacteria would at least work in the fight against the spread of the candida. With a clean slate, Candida re-fed by bad diet re-occurs in the system and takes over.

As Dr. Tullio Simoncini, an Italian Oncologist and author of ‘Cancer is a Fungus’, is a leading advocate in pointing to an alternative cause of cancer to most of the medical profession. Dr. Simoncini’s research has led him to believe that the fungus Candida is the leading cause of cancer, and that cancer itself is in fact a fungus. He states that what we refer to as a tumour, is nothing more than the human body’s attempt to protect itself from candida.

Candida, a yeast infection that is also fed by yeasts, starts in the stomach overtaking friendly bacteria and eventually spreads throughout the entire body through the blood stream. It therefore is feasible that cancer, a disease that may eventually riddle the whole body may have some connection with a disease that shares this quality. This is further supported by the following figures concerning the coexistence of Candida and cancer that have been collected by the following authors:
* R.L. Hopfer: 79%
* U. Kaben: 80%
* W. T. Hughes: 91 %
* T.E. Kiehn: 97%

The above results quoted show that Candida may be present in the tissue of cancer patients. Not only that, but Candida species – of which there are about 150 different types - represent, according to several scholars, the first cause of disease and mortality in patients affected by neoplasias of the hemolinphopoietic system.

Dr. Simoncini’s explanation for how Candida leads to deadly cancer is that it is a consequence of the weakening and exhaustion of the body’s organs, and eventually the entire body, in the following stages:

1. Candida roots itself in the deep connective tissue in various organs. Connective tissue is more open to invasion due to its simple structure. Tissue such as muscle and nerves are considered “noble tissue” and not easily penetrated by the fugin.

2. As a result, this parasitic behaviour evokes an organic defensive reaction as the connective tissue of invaded organs attempt to encyst the fungin colonies through cellular hyper-production. This results in the formation of tumours and is a natural reaction. The body is attempting to isolate the fungin from the organ.

3. Growths continue as the fungi spreads, both in surrounding tissue, and remotely (aka “metastatis”). It is still the same Candida attacking different tissues, but due to its highly adaptive qualities it is able to mutate and adapt itself to whatever environment it finds itself in, hence the various types of tumours.

4. Your body becomes progressively more exhausted, which allows the fungi to spread and take over more rapidly.

5. Death occurs because of cancer.

Suggested Cures

Baking Soda.
Not only do yeasts get everywhere they also make an alcohol as a by-product, which feeds cancer cells. Moreover yeasts are anaerobes - they don't use oxygen to metabolise and survive. If they move around the body and colonise an area of the breast or prostate, they set up anaerobic conditions and cancer thrives in situations where oxygen levels are lowered.

Like when fighting the bacteria that causes periodontal disease or gum disease, oxygenating the area will ultimately fight the disease. If you exercise regularly (a method for increasing haemoglobin (oxygenation) in the blood) it will help increase your body’s resistance to both diseases. If you eat your green vegetables, chlorophyll increases haemoglobin production meaning your system is more oxygenated and candida struggles to remain in control. Interestingly wheatgrass juice, a potent dose of chlorophyll, has been suggested by alternative therapists as a treatment for cancer. Brushing teeth with baking soda causes a flood of oxygen which means that the bacterium that causes gum disease can’t survive.

Dr Simoncini suggests a very novel and safe treatment of cancer tumours: sodium bicarbonate. That’s right, ordinary baking soda (the same remedy my Harley street dentist suggested to oxygenate my shrinking gums. The side effects of this treatment seem to be fatigue as opposed to the many side effects of chemotherapy.

NOTE: ingesting baking soda will NOT cure cancer. Dr Simoncinin has devised successful methods for treating cancer and advice should be sought before trying such a treatment method.

Cinnamon.
I forgot to mention that our friend cinnamon, that helps kill sugar cravings by helping control glucose in the blood stream, may also help kill yeasts in the blood stream. I should probably assert at this point that sugar cravings are usually caused by yeasts to help feed them.

Yeasts Cause Other Illnesses

I understand little about yeasts and I can only say I have a feeling that it may be the cause of many problems and disease in the body. Two other diseases that seem to have a connection to yeast are diabetes and arthritis. Research in the USA showed that taking cinnamon could - in some people - significantly reduce the symptoms of both 'diseases'. One theory - although not proposed by the researchers in either case, is that yeast infections eventually move across the gut lining and into the blood stream. Every cell has large numbers of receptor sites on the cell wall. Only recently two Nobel prizes were won by people showing how these receptor sites could become blocked and thus cells could not communicate very well. One reason for this blocking was that carbohydrate could make them 'sticky' and yeasts stuck to them.

It’s time to take action! My first three articles have given you the basic tools. Go back read them and change your eating patterns, and invest in supporting your immune system with Astragalus, Echinacea, Vitamin C and omega oils. Remember that stevia is a 100 times sweeter than sugar and a natural anti-fungal agent.

I would add that caprylic acid, oregano, olive leaf extract, ACV and Pau D'Arco are all excellent at combating yeast. A powerful and natural antifungal is Wormwood. Chlorella is a supplement that seems to enhance the action of probiotics and the natural flora in the gut. And finally BREATHE! Oxygen is key! Find a good way to relax so you can take a full breath in and a full breath out!

Enjoy your new lease of life,

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The common variety packaged, processed and even mildly processed food seems to contain sugar (among other things which I’ll get to at a later date), almost all of it, sweet and savoury items that don’t even require it. Sundried tomatoes packed in oil and sometimes garlic needs nothing else, perfectly flavoursome and naturally sweetened. Look a little closer!

They have sugar! The organic and natural
foods available in the UK put New Zealand to shame. Even the common UK supermarket stocks sugar free sundried tomatoes and crisps. Here, in NZ it is virtually unheard of. Crackers, breads, creamed corn in fact at least 90% of the items in NZ supermarkets contain added sugar. Its’ addictive nature probably explains why it seems to be a popular ingredient to manufacturers. It certainly isn’t for its nutritional value. By the time it’s been processed, white sugar has no nutritional value.

How bad can a little sugar be?

Sugar is one of the most unhealthy and perhaps one of the most addictive natural substances we consume. Sugar affects the body in many ways.

It starts in the mouth destroying teeth and gums with decay and disease. Then it moves to the stomach and intestines, lowering general immunity and destroying food absorption processes causing cravings and increasing intake of food. It can also encourage Candida, a disease that in itself causes a whole host of problems including bloating, ringing in the ears, cravings, mood swings and in women bad period cramps. Once the bad guys (bad bacteria) have the upper hand, the good fight to be healthy is much more difficult.

The pancreas releases mass amounts of insulin to keep blood sugar stable. The adrenals then come into play releasing cortisol a hormone known to cause weight gain. Sugar is then stored in the liver in the form of glucose (glycogen) but the liver is not equipped for the large quantities some people are consuming in this country. As a result, the liver expands, straining the organ’s vitality and weakening its function. When the liver is full, the excess glycogen is returned to the blood in the form of fatty acids. These are transported throughout the entire body but are stored in the most inactive parts; the belly, the buttocks, the breasts and the thighs.

Finally the kidneys and the heart come under attack. As a result of these fatty acids, the organs begin to slow down, degenerate and weaken. It will ultimately turn organs to fat rather than muscle. The whole body is affected by the organs’ impaired state, resulting in abnormal blood pressure, kidney and bladder malfunctions, urinary tract infections and irregular heart function.

Given all of this, doesn’t it seem crazy that schools have vending machines increasing the availability of sugary drinks such as coke and a bottle of water costs more than a can of fizz? In fact the possibility of getting hold of a sugar free snack during your working hours as a student or a teacher is often limited to the fruit bowl in the canteen or perhaps a few strips of fruit leather. It is time to take control of the foods that are allowed into the school canteen. Schools should request a list of ingredients from bakers and other food suppliers. Schools should be aware of the sugar content in the foods they sell and make an informed choice with the health of students and staff in mind. There should also be a balance between sugar loaded and sugar free products available in the canteen.

You too can make informed choices in your own lives by reading the labels on food items and knowing the enemy lurking in food.

Sarah Brook
 

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After demolishing an entire tub of ice cream I sent off the last article about the effects of sugar and how bad it is. Resolving it was my last tub. The very last drop in the bucket of sugariness for one month. I am going to try very hard to kick the sugar habit. Maybe if I can do it for one month. Maybe just maybe I can do it for longer...

Sound familiar? I can only guess that
teachers are like the rest of us with the added stress and politics of working with other people’s children as well as your peers. I’m sure the simplest of meals, even a quick stop at McDonalds or the sushi shop must seem easier than going home at the end of a long day to make something from scratch.

We all think if we can just avoid the fast food, then we will be alright and make a stop at the supermarket. But hang on, the supermarket is full of hidden sugar (and fat – again something to be discussed at a later date). In fact at least 90% of your supermarket goods are laced with it. It’s everywhere, it’s overwhelming and it’s killing us! So what do we do? It’s time to read the label! It’s time to arm ourselves with some information and get prepared. Maybe it is also time to educate the younger generation so that they don’t have to overcome the addiction.

WARNING: Cutting out sugar may produce detox symptoms such as headaches, cravings, fatigue and mood swings. But don’t worry like many things in life these too will pass. Extra sleep and plenty of fluids always help. Did you know vitamin C has a similar chemical structure to sugar? So every time you have a sugar craving, take 500mg of Vitamin C which should help reduce its intensity and don’t worry if you OD on vitamin C it just comes out the other endJ.

STEP 1: KNOW THE DEMONS

Beware, sugar by any other name is still sugar! You may remember this list from last week. It is a list of the most popular pseudonyms for sugar.

STEP 2: KNOW YOUR DEMONS AND SET YOUR GOALS TO FIGHT THE ADDICTION
It’s time to get honest, how tough are you when you come up against the big sugar? Is it a case of just removing the unnecessary from your diet? Cutting out the hidden stuff you didn’t know you were consuming? You need to make the decision and set some attainable goals. It’s time to take a look at your history with sugar, assess whether it is the thing that beats you every time? Or is it time for a complete elimination of sugar in order to regain your health.

Your goal should fit your particular health needs and disposition. The key is to cut back consumption. Ultimately, your body will thank you for cutting back on sugar.

Whatever you goal is you need to be aware of the grief stages in letting go of your habits:

STAGE 1: Denial… “I’m not really that bad.”
STAGE 2: Anger… “Why is my body this way? Why is there sugar in everything?”
STAGE 3: Bargaining… “Maybe I could do sugar once a week? Or how about using the more ‘natural’ sugars?”
STAGE 4: Depression… “I can never have chocolate again! I won’t ever be able to eat birthday cake again! no more apple crumble!”
STAGE 5: Acceptance... “It’s just not worth it anymore!” That is when the light starts to come on. Sugar consumption can actually get worse right before you give up. It can be darkest before the dawn.

COLD TURKEY!
So you have decided you can’t eat sugar anymore. Great the next step is action!

STEP 1: Raid you pantry, cupboards and fridge-freezer. It’s time to start reading the labels. Decide on a good rule of thumb like if sugar is in the first five or six ingredients then don’t eat the product, even if it’s a sneaky sugar like carob powder. I would suggest that you don’t even keep that product. I know it seems costly and wasteful to throw it out but just think of all the money you’ll save in the long run on a lowered medical bill. Besides do you really want to be part of someone else’s declining health? Either throw it out or send it back to the manufacturer pointing out that you will no longer be buying this product because of its ingredients. Maybe they will think of producing an alternative if enough consumers complain.

STEP 2: Take a vow to always carry an apple or a piece of fruit you like. If you have something on hand to stave off the hunger, you may find you are less inclined to go for the candy machine. Dried fruits and nuts are also good options. Also don’t forget to pack your vitamin C, 500 mg can always help stave off those cravings.

STEP 3: Start drinking tea. There are so many lovely varieties of tea and a cup of caffeinated or non-caffeinated tea of any kind maybe the only boost you need. I personally prefer the white, green and red teas over the black teas. A nice herbal, mint tea is my favourite as it is easy on the stomach. I personally find that black teas only make me want to add milk and sugar.

STEP 4: Get in touch with some sweet treats that won’t ruin your sugar free life, sweets that won’t spike your blood sugar or feed that Candida, a topic covered later.

STEP 5: Start a movement, make a difference! Discuss with your school the possibility of sugar education as part of the health curriculum taught in your school. Fight ‘The Big Sugar’ from the ground up. Advertising targets children and teenagers as much if not more than it targets the rest of us. What about that Vending Machine in your school? Find out who is profiting from that. The main problem you may face is that the naughty little machine is making the school money. Consider fundraising options to replace the machine, or see if it is possible for it to be stocked with only healthy options.        

LIFE AFTER THE BIG SUGAR:

Once you cut out the sugar and go through the detox period using vitamin C, you will find the cravings will disappear, if however you are still having difficulties with cravings you should look further into Candida (Which my next article will focus on).

So now that you decided to reduce or eliminate sugar in your diet, what’s left to eat when you want something sweet? The following are reasonable options.

1.      Fruit

2.      Spices

3.      Stevia

4.      Honey

5.      Yacon

1. Fruits: nature’s candy store
Coconut, papaya, melon, grapes, there are so many wondrous, delicious options you can try and enjoy. Pick five new ones each week. Unfortunately fruit is still naturally high in fructose, so be aware that having too much fruit – say more than three pieces a day, may also cause problems with Candida. Two servings of fruit per day should maintain health. Also go for those fruits that are in season, as these will be more in tune with your body’s needs for the season.

Dried Fruit is infinitely sweeter than raw fruit. Plus the variety and portability is wonderful.  But, just like raw fruit, limited quantities are advised.  Some types also are better than others.  Beware of dried fruit that contains added sulphates, vegetable oils or sugars. These are harmful ingredients often used on dried fruit. Vegetable oil is so nasty it’s going to get its own article at some point. Read your labels! Again seasonality should still be taken into consideration.

100% Fruit Juice should also be treated like dried fruit. If it is pre-packaged, it has been pasteurised (coincidentally like most dried fruits). The heat treatment destroys a lot of the nutrients and natural fibres in juice and raises the sugar hit. So use sparingly. Also be wary that most fruit juice in New Zealand is from concentrate. Just because it’s branded simply squeezed doesn’t mean it is!

2. Spices:
I also used sweet spices such as cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and vanilla bean in my foods and beverages such as yogurt, teas, smoothies, salad dressing, fresh juice.

3. Stevia:  The sweet herb

Stevia is a green herb from the sunflower family, native to subtropical and tropical South and Central America.  Popular in some countries for hundreds of years, stevia is now facing a bit of a bad wrap from a variety of authorities. It is not surprising, as there is money to be made from the second rate bi-products that are used to sweeten most food than from a natural plant. Stevia doesn’t affect blood sugar levels, it doesn’t feed Candida, is nearly 300 times sweeter than sugar, and it is calorie free! It is the sweet that doesn’t set up cravings for sugar, carbohydrates, or other substances.

There are several forms of stevia: the whole dried leaf; the ground dried leaf which is a funky green powder; a more ‘refined’ stevia that is white; and a liquid form which is more concentrated.  Test out the different forms and find the one that works for you. But again it’s a case of reading the label and making sure the stevia you buy isn’t laced with anything nasty. 

Please note that moderation here is key. A little goes a long way and it can have a bitter aftertaste if it is overdone.

4. Raw Honey: An enzymatic food filled with nutrition

First you should note that honey must be RAW, otherwise it is just sugary rubbish having much the same affect on your system as all those other nasty sugars. Raw means not heated beyond 40 degrees Celsius. In other words honey should not be pasteurised, so as to maintain all of its lovely nutrients and enzymes and its lower GI! It does however contain glucose and fructose so it’s best to use in small quantities.  

Did you know that pure honey contains vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, and C), minerals (calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphate, potassium, sodium chlorine, and sulphur), over 22 amino acids and antioxidants? Honey is a great antibacterial and antifungal, useful for disinfecting and healing wounds and burns.  It is of course great for soothing sore throats, coughs, and respiratory conditions. One of my personal favourites is New Zealand’s own Manuka Honey, which is by far the richest in many of these awesome qualities. Though some find its taste too rich, I love it!

Unlike other sweeteners, honey is pre-digested and easier on our digestive system.  When consumed with starches, the enzymes in honey actually help us breakdown complex carbohydrates such as oatmeal and toast.

5.     Yacon: The Peruvian enzyme and nutrition rich superfood
 

Yacon syrup is derived from the yacon plant, a tuber found in the Andean region of South America. Yacon is a distant relative of the sunflower and the Peruvian locals use it cut up in salads or in sweets. Because yacon syrup is plant based, it is also vegan and a good alternative for vegetarians. The roots contain potassium and the antioxidant vitamins A, C and E.

Yacon syrup is glucose free and contains at least 30% fructooligosaccharides (FOS). FOS is a common prebiotic that aids digestion and helps to stimulate the colon. FOS cannot be absorbed by the body which makes it naturally low in calories and low glycemic (some proponents of the syrup go so far as to say that yacon is non glycemic). Those sugars remaining in the plant that are not FOS are absorbed slowly into the bloodstream.

There are many benefits to FOS supplementation including better absorption of calcium and magnesium. It also helps increase bone density. For this reason seniors with osteoporosis often take FOS supplements.

Guess what? Yacon syrup is also proving to be an effective diet aid. An abstract found in the April 2009 european journal Clinical Nutrition finds: ‘Daily intake of yacon syrup produced a significant decrease in body weight, waist circumference and body mass index. Additionally, decrease in fasting serum insulin and Homeostasis Model Assessment index was observed. The consumption of yacon syrup increased defecation frequency and satiety sensation. Fasting glucose and serum lipids were not affected by syrup treatment and the only positive effect was found in serum LDL-cholesterol levels. ‘

Not only does daily supplementation with yacon syrup help decrease body weight, but it has a positive effect on LDL-cholesterol levels. The article also reported that it helped those who consumed it to feel satisfied after eating. Yacon syrup is a sweet that is actually good for you.

It should be noted however that the processing of anything is important. Yacon needs to be delicately handled by an ethical company that is truly in love with its Yacon.

Yacon syrup has a treacly, caramel-like, molasses flavour. It is very thick, sticky and dark and can add moisture to baking. Its taste is quite distinctive. In my opinion, it tastes best when used in raw food desserts and in raw fruit smoothies. It is also good as a substitute for molasses and brown sugar in baking.

Agave: You might as well Eat Sugar

Before I go I think I should address the issue of Agave Nectar, also known as Agave Syrup. It is the latest health food craze in the raw food world. Promoted as a healthy alternative to sugar, people believe the publicity and are using it as an alternative to sugar. After a little research though, my advice to you is don’t eat Agave Nectar in any shape or form. 

Agave nectar is 100% sugar and its calorie content is basically the same as any other sugar product.

Agave is also extremely high in fructose. In fact it is 70-90% fructose and the rest is glucose. This is a higher percentage of fructose than any food or drink. Fruits contain much lower levels of fructose so it is not accurate to compare Agave Nectar to fruit. The sugar in soft drinks such as regular Coke and Pepsi is 55% fructose and 45% glucose (it is called High Fructose Corn Syrup) so eating Agave Nectar has more in common with drinking a super fructose strong Coke than anything that occurs in nature. 

Agave Nectar has also become so highly commercialised and produced that processing has a big impact on this product. In short: Don’t eat it!

Remember everything in moderation. If you can’t do moderation, abstinence is the key! Well that’s it for this week. Next week we move on to Candida, and how it’s affecting YOUR health.

Please note Candida affects both men and women and is an ever increasing plague. It encourages the cravings for sugar and causes many health problems including chronic fatigue syndrome.

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